Currently Untitled
by Nicea
Summary: The story of Caspian's younger sister as she discovers a new world whilst falling in and out of love and building new friendships.
1. Chapter 1

Moonlight shone brightly, scattered across the room by the window panes. It cast pale colour upon the tousled bedspread. The occasional boom of fireworks cast more light into the room. Despite the combined light from the moon and fireworks, the girl sitting on the window seat could not clearly see the paper she was pouring over. So Catalina lit a few candles. Satisfied that she could see well enough to draw, Catalina settled back onto the window seat and peered down at the courtyard, intent on replicating the scene below.

Although it was past midnight, Catalina had been awake for hours. She had been startled awake from a bad dream and was unable to fall back asleep. After lying awake for some time, she had given up the battle and decided to draw. For no particular reason she had settled on the courtyard as her subject. Nighttime really was the best time to sketch the courtyard, for there were no people in it.

As she strained her eyes in an attempt to see the details of the cobble stones (it was so dark!), a figure on horseback galloped across her range of vision. She jumped up, knocking over the inkwell, pressed her face to the glass of the window trying to see who was leaving at this time of night. If she hadn't been gazing so intently in that direction, she would have missed the figure altogether. More fireworks went off, throwing enough light on the figure for Catalina to recognize him as he rode through the gate. She gasped and pushed her nose harder against the glass. Long after her older brother had disappeared through the gate, Catalina continued to stare after him.

Catalina woke around noon the next day. Yawning, she slowly tumbled off the window seat. Her ink splattered drawing of the courtyard joined the other unfinished sketches littering the room. She looked ruefully at her soiled nightgown. She did not mind ink on her fingers; as an artist, it was inevitable. But ink on silk was another matter entirely. She stripped off the ruined clothing and leaned over the wash basin. She paused, water dripping from her cupped hands. Caspian had run away, and she had no idea where he had gone, or why. Catalina was certain he wouldn't just leave without any reason. He must be doing some sort of lesson with Doctor Cornelius. No, there had been only one figure riding in the moonlight. She splashed her face with the remaining water in her hands. If his tutor had not accompanied Caspian, perhaps he had still sent him? The more Catalina thought about it, the more likely it seemed, though she could not conceive a possible reason for it. She finished dressing and, determined to confront him about the matter, headed towards Doctor Cornelius' study.

A little of her certainty fled with every step she took down the corridors. Doctor Cornelius may have had nothing to do with Caspian's flight. He may be sitting in his study right now, wondering where his pupil could be. Before she knew it, Catalina found herself outside his door. She would not accuse him of sending her brother from the safety of the castle. Perhaps they would just worry about Caspian together. She knocked softly on the large oak door before pushing it open.

"Your Highness!" the small man's hurried bow knocked a small stack of books off the table. "I-I wasn't expecting you, Princess. I recently acquired a new map of the fa-"

"Doctor," she interrupted him," forgive my intrusion, I was merely looking for my brother. I thought he might be with you."

His back stiffened. "I am afraid I have not seen Prince Caspian this morning, your highness,"

"Then you didn't-" she bit her lip, "you didn't have your usual lesson?"

"No-er-the lesson was cancelled for today,"

Her brow puckered in confusion. "Alright. Thank you, Doctor." She turned to leave, but paused, hand on the doorframe. She turned back into the small room.

"Are you certain you wouldn't like to take a look at that map?" the tutor grabbed an armload of scrolls and books off the little table to make room for the map.

"But why would he cancel his lesson with you?" she asked, tracing the lines of the map despite herself. "Your lessons are his favorite part of every day."

"Well …I'm sure the prince had other important things to see to."

Catalina's fingers stopped in the middle of the map: Archenland. "I saw him ride away last night." She looked up from the tiny details of Archenland and into the tutor's eyes. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she thought of her brother exploring the faraway places she had only seen through maps.

"Where did he go?" she implored.

"My Princess, I had wanted to spare you this knowledge," he began, but was interrupted by Catalina.

"Because I'm only fifteen?" she said bitterly. "If I am old enough to be wed, I think I'm old enough to-"

"My dear," the fat man cut her off gently, "do not be in such a hurry to grow up. Enjoy your youth while you still possess it." He smiled benignly, then continued, "I had hoped you would never have to learn of this, because it is knowledge of the sort that anyone, regardless of age, should be spared. Like your uncle, I was counting on your marriage to keep the truth from you,"

"What do you-"

"Please, your highness, let me finish. As I was saying, as much as I wanted to keep this from you, you have a right to the truth."

He looked down at his wringing hands. Catalina tapped her foot with impatience, but otherwise held her tongue. Finally, Doctor Cornelius looked up again. "Your uncle would do anything to keep the throne," he said slowly, "Even kill. With the birth of his son, he would do anything to keep the throne in his direct bloodline. I sent Caspian to Archenland for his safety."

Catalina sat very still as the doctor's words sunk in. Miraz wanted Caspian dead! It couldn't be true. And yet, Catalina had always known her aunt and uncle did not like her and Caspian. But surely, to kill one's own kindred? As she mulled it over, Catalina was forced to admit that Miraz was a cruel man; he was definitely capable of murder. Furthermore, she trusted the short, fat man sitting across from her in the cluttered room. Her hands clenched until her knuckles turned white. She would not let the tutor see how frightened she was. Despite her best efforts, tears fell from behind her closed eyelids. But Caspian was going to be safe; he was on his way to Archenland, to Darren and his father. Yes, Darren would help. Darren…

Her eyes fluttered open. "My marriage. You mentioned my marriage. What does my marriage have to do with this?"

"By marrying Prince Darren you belong to Archenland. You forfeit your claim to rule Narnia, and you would be too far away to interfere with Miraz."

So, she was only safe because she had been lucky enough to catch the eye of the oldest son of the king of Archenland. But Caspian was still in danger.

"What must we do to help Caspian?" she asked.

"We must remain silent; draw no notice to Caspian's absence. Give him time and opportunity to reach Archenland."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Doctor Cornelius shut the door behind the princess. He had not told her everything. The knowledge that Miraz had killed her father would only upset her further. No, no need to tell her that.

Catalina failed to understand how two days could pass without Caspian's absence being noticed. He was the heir to the throne! As she paced in her room, she heard a commotion in the courtyard and rushed to the window. A number of soldiers were clustered around a weather-beaten horse.

"_Destrier_," she breathed. Caspian's horse had returned, but where was Caspian? She raced down the hall, looking again for Doctor Cornelius. She heard her brother's name spoken from within a room, and she stopped outside the door to listen. It was her uncle.

"…must find the boy, and kill him!"

Catalina bit her lip as she backed away. As quietly as possible, she continued towards Doctor Cornelius' rooms. She knocked frantically on the door.

"Your Highness, what is wrong?" he asked when he saw her widened eyes.

"Caspian's horse-Destrier-came back with no rider. He didn't make it to Archenland. Miraz is going out to find him-to kill him!" She looked at him wildly. She didn't know what he could do, but Catalina was certain the doctor could do something to help. She raised her hand to wipe the tears that had begun to sting her eyes. She must not cry.

"There may yet be hope," The tutor soothed the girl. He reminded her of the tales of Old Narnia, tales she hadn't heard since she was a small child. "With any luck," he said, "Caspian will have found Narnians." He stood up and moved about the room, shoving various items into a small pack.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Catalina asked.

"I'm going to find Caspian before Miraz does," he replied.


	2. Chapter 2

The drawings scattered around Catalina's room had doubled in the few weeks Caspian had been gone. Although she had learned almost at once where he was, Miraz's messengers from the battlefront made her increasingly anxious; Caspian was losing. So she drew. At least a dozen of the papers spread across her room depicted the same face: Prince Darren of Archenland. She was sketching him once again as she waited for further news of the battle.

Darren. She could sketch her betrothed's face from memory, without an image for reference. His golden curls fell lightly over his eyes-dark green, usually crinkled in a broad grin. Though his teeth weren't quite straight, his smile was bright and infectious. He was only two years older than Catalina, but he already had his father's booming laugh.

Catalina had liked him from the first moment she met him. At first, he had only come occasionally on matters of state with his father. Then, as he took more notice of the young princess, Darren began to visit more often and on his own. Then, barely two months ago, Darren had fallen to one knee and asked for her hand.

Catalina was almost certain that she was in love. It certainly felt like love. Other youths had attempted to woo her, but her mind was always filled with Darren's face. She missed him when he was gone, and she dreamt of him often. Perhaps one could not be absolutely certain until one had been kissed. Darren had not kissed her. After he proposed they had embraced, Darren had kissed her on the cheek, but not a real kiss. She wished her mother were alive to help her understand about love. She could not talk to her aunt about such things.

Her reverie was interrupted by a commotion in the courtyard. Catalina set aside her pen and looked out the window. Stable hands were gathered around something small. Something small that was apparently putting up a good fight. Curious, Catalina ran down to the courtyard.

A squirrel, the men were struggling with a squirrel, which was biting and scratching with all its might. The sight was ridiculous.

"Let the poor thing down!" she commanded.

The men jumped; they had not noticed the Princess. The squirrel seized the opportunity to wiggle out of one of the man's slackened grip. The creature scurried across the cobblestones, halting at Catalina's feet. She bent down and stretched out her hand to pet it. To her surprise, the squirrel took her hand in its tiny paws and kissed it, bowing low.

"My lady," it squeaked, and Catalina uttered a soft shriek. The squirrel nevertheless continued, "I come ahead of your brother, Caspian. He has been victorious in the battle against the tyrant Miraz. He is on his way here, accompanied by the Great Lion, Aslan, and the kings and queens of old!"

The squirrel then turned and raised his voice to address the others in the courtyard. But Catalina did not hear his words. Caspian was safe! He was coming home! And with Aslan…the sound of that name filled her with excitement. It was vaguely familiar…she remembered-Aslan was the great lion in the fairy tales their old nurse used to tell them before she was sent away.

"My lady," the squirrel addressed her again, "Are you not going to prepare for their arrival?"

"Prepare? How?" she asked.

The squirrel blinked. "I am a squirrel, what do I know of castles and kings?"

Catalina threw up her hands. "And I am a girl who has never had to run a household!"

"Perhaps you could gather all the nuts in your store and offer them as a gift," the squirrel suggested helpfully.

It was the princess' turn to blink. She shook her head. Lions she didn't know what to do with, but she could handle humans.

"Who are these kings and queens of old?" she asked.

"The High King Peter, his brother King Edmund, and his sisters Queen Susan and Queen Lucy, of course,"

Of course. She would have to ask Caspian exactly who these kings and queens were. She stood up. Rooms would have to be made ready. And baths; they were coming from battle, after all. "Well, we had better get started, then," she said to the squirrel. It scurried up the length of her body and settled on her shoulder. As she instructed the servants, the squirrel, whose name was Digby she soon learned, chattered constantly in her ear. By the time they stood once again in the courtyard, Catalina not only knew the squirrel's name, but the details of his home, his family, and his life up to the present moment.

"The king himself asked me to deliver his message to you, your highness," he never seemed to run out of breath. Digby's tale was interrupted by the arrival of Caspian and his followers. Catalina ran to meet her brother at the gate. They enveloped each other in a tight hug.

"Catalina, I have so much to tell you!" he exclaimed, "But first, you must meet my new friends,"

He spun her around, and Catalina found herself face to face with a very large beast. Though she had never seen a lion, not even in pictures, she knew who this magnificent animal was: Aslan. He gazed back at her with eyes full of kindness and love. Still, something about him caused her to tremble.

"Child, you have done well," he breathed on her, and the fear left.

Caspian then began to introduce her to the retainers that had followed in their wake. The princess had just gotten used to the talking squirrel, the strange…people just wasn't quite the right word…beings before her took her by surprise. She was introduced to Trumpkin the dwarf, Trufflehunter the badger, and several other creatures. Then Caspian turned to the four humans with him. These apparently were the 'kings and queens of old', and, although she didn't fully understand it, she readily believed it. Although the eldest (the high king) was only a few years older than herself and the youngest (was it Lucy?) only a few years younger, she saw the nobility on their faces. She curtsied. What funny clothes they wore!

"Caspian, you must tell me everything!" she tugged on his sleeve, and then added in a whisper, "where _did_ they come from?"

He grinned and hugged her once again. "Do you think I might bathe first?"

"Your curiosity will be soothed, child," Aslan said gently, "But first see to your guests,"

Catalina blushed slightly. She showed her brother's retainers to the rooms and baths she had prepared. She turned the boys over to her brother and busied herself with the girls. Though they possessed the nobility of queens, they didn't style themselves as such. There was none of the loftiness she had seen in her aunt, and when she curtsied and addressed them as "Your Majesties", Lucy had said, "Oh! Let's have none of that! We're going to be such friends!" Catalina dressed them in her own clothes (she had to dig to find a gown small enough to fit Lucy) and invited them to her room for tea. Tea quickly forgotten, the girls found themselves sharing storied from their pasts. Catalina was fascinated by the tales Susan and Lucy told. She enjoyed the stories from their reign as queens, but what really intrigued her was their home, that other place, England. Large metal boxes that moved on their own, without horses or anything pulling them! It all sounded very exciting. Archenland suddenly didn't seem quite so far away.

Lucy picked up a piece of paper lying on the floor. "I say, who is this?"

Susan peered over her shoulder. "He's very handsome. Did you draw this?" she raised her eyes to Catalina.

The princess took the drawing from them. It was one of her sketches of Darren. "He's…a friend. A very good friend." She couldn't explain what made her hesitate, or why she didn't tell her new friends that Darren was her fiancé. Susan gave her a funny look; surely she could tell Darren was more than just a friend. Catalina was spared any questioning by a knock on her door. Without waiting for an answer, the knocker opened the door and walked in.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" Caspian exclaimed.

"Have you three been holed up in here all this time?" the younger of the kings, Edmund, asked. A happy smile lit his face. Catalina suspected they had dispensed with formalities with Caspian as their sisters had done with her.

"Of course they have been, Ed," the older brother, Peter, said, also smiling, "Just like girls, already the best of friends and gossiping away." He was fair-haired, just a few shades lighter than Darren's. Grey eyes smiled with his mouth. Though he was still a boy, hardly older than Caspian or Darren, he was quite handsome in his finery. Catalina blushed slightly as she thought that perhaps it was a good thing she had described Darren as just a friend.

"Catalina, didn't you want to hear what happened?"

She jumped up, "Oh, of course!" she listened intently as the five of them told the tale of the last month.

And what an amazing tale it was! A magic horn, the duel, dancing tress; Catalina was slightly jealous she had not been there to witness those things firsthand. Caspian finished the tale with the news that they were to be at Beruna in five days time where Aslan would send the Telmarines away.

"I do not think our aunt wishes to stay," she said softly. True, her aunt had never liked them, but she was still family.

"Wherever Aslan sends them," Peter assured her, "I'm sure it's a good place."

She nodded. The others continued to talk of the future of Narnia. From the way Peter and Susan spoke, Catalina knew they intended to leave. But how would they get back to the magical place they called home? Aslan, of course, would have to send them back. A tiny thought that had sparked earlier when Susan and Lucy were speaking of England began once more to glow. Perhaps Aslan would send her home with them. But could she really leave her brother and her home?

The spark grew into a small flame that would not be extinguished. Catalina tossed around in her bed, unable to sleep. She would be leaving her brother, the person she loved most in the world, and her homeland, the place she had grown up. But surely the excitement of England would be worth what she was leaving behind. And she would also be leaving Darren. She still thought she loved him. Yet, Catalina thought that if she truly loved him, surely she would never be able to even contemplate leaving him.

Catalina arose from her bed. She settled into her place on the window seat and began scribbling on a small piece of parchment.

They met Aslan at Beruna that morning. Telmarines from across the realm were gathered there. Catalina watched with more amazement than surprise as the first man disappeared through the magical gateway. The kings and queens had changed back into their former clothes and were preparing to leave themselves. Catalina knew this was her chance to make her request. She steeled her courage and approached Aslan.

"Sir," she asked, curtsying deeply, "I would like to join the High King and his noble brother and sisters in their world,"

There was a general outcry of surprise. Aslan looked at the girl before him quite seriously.

"Are you sure of your choice, child?" he asked. "For once made, there is no turning back."

Catalina thought once more about what she was leaving. She bit her lower lip, but her voice was steady. "Yes, sir. I am."

The great lion smiled at her. "It will be difficult, but you will find great joy in that world. I shall send you to some old friends of mine. They will take care of you and teach you how to live in their world. Say goodbye to your brother, for he loves you dearly."

Catalina curtsied again before running to embrace Caspian.

"I'll miss you terribly," he said to her.

"And I, you," she pressed the note she had written the previous night into Caspian's hand. "Send this to Darren," she whispered. He nodded.

"You may yet see each other again," Aslan murmured, "Not in this life, but in another. I will send you dreams to ease the heartache."

Catalina squeezed her brother one last time before turning towards the gateway. Lucy ran up and hugged her as well. "I shall be so happy to see you in England! I am sure Aslan is sending you to Professor Kirk, it was in his house that we first discovered Narnia! I will send you a letter as soon as I am able, and perhaps we may see each other over the holidays!"

Catalina hugged Lucy back. After making a formal farewell to her people, Catalina walked determinedly through the gateway. If she glanced backwards and hesitated slightly in her final steps, no one but Caspian noticed.


End file.
